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Fair Time in Du Quoin

Illinois has two state fairs: the Illinois State Fair, which concluded in Springfield this past Sunday, and the Du Quoin State Fair in southern Illinois, which starts Friday night and runs through Labor Day.

It costs seven dollars to park and nothing to get in.

Shannon Woodworth is hoping to break even in his first year as manager after fourteen years as an employee at Du Quoin. He says having a second state fair in Illinois is important, particularly in an area without the other tourist draws of Springfield.

“Families can come out here,” Woodworth says, “and do all the things that we have for them to do out here, it makes kings and queens out of moms and dads.”

Woodworth’s particularly excited about Foreigner on the grandstand stage. He says based on advance ticket sales, Saturday’s concert will be the biggset show there since Kenny Chesney performed in 2001.